The subject invention relates generally to the field of sugar processing facilities which are capable of commercially processing granulated sugar into liquid sucrose or invert sugar and, more particularly, to those facilities which are suited for integration into the production process of commercial beverage bottling facilities.
In the United States and other highly industrialized countries, carbonated beverage bottlers frequently process granulated sugar into either liquid sucrose, which is a sugar solution in water containing 67.3 to 67.7% sugar by weight, or 50% invert sugar, which is a liquid sugar mixture in which half of the sucrose has been hydrolized into glucose and fructose. The liquid sucrose or invert sugar is then stored in suitable storage tanks and pumped into vats where the beverage is mixed in batches prior to bottling.
In areas where the population base is relatively small and the economy is not highly industrialized, equipment for such facilities must be shipped considerable distances for assembly on site. If the capacity of the bottling plant is to be relatively small, it is not uncommon for the bottler to opt against incorporating equipment for making liquid sucrose and invert sugar into the overall bottling process. Thus, in such situations the bottler mixes granulated sugar directly into the beverage mix on a batch by batch basis. While this practice avoids the need for equipment to process granulated sugar into liquid sucrose or invert sugar, there are inherent disadvantages. Mixing granulated sugar directly into the batch means that considerable handling is required, which is expensive in terms of the extra labor involved. This method is also less accurate than metering liquid sugar, resulting in greater variance in product quality. Further, dust particles or other contaminants are more of a problem when granulated sugar is used, not to mention storing problems due to rodents, etc.